Galbi-jjim | 갈비찜
Braised Short Ribs in Soy Sauce
Galbi-jjim is a dish made by steaming beef (or pork) ribs, radishes, carrots, chestnuts and jujube in soy sauce. Galbi-jjim is one of the signature dishes of the Korean New Year and Chuseok, which are traditional Korean holidays. Because of Koreans’ preference for beef over any other meat, this dish is popular when welcoming visitors.
- 2 lb (1kg) beef short ribs with bones (2-inch (5-cm) long), 5 cups water, 2 cups reserved beef broth, ⅛ white radish (½ lb, 250g), ½ carrot (3½ oz, 100g), 6 dry pyogo (shiitake), mushrooms (1 oz, 30g) after soaking (3 oz, 90g), 5 chestnuts, 3 jujubes
Seasoning for beef
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 4 tablespoons pear juice (or 4 tablespoons water, 1 table-spoon sugar), 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons minced green onion, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, crushed, pinch of ground black pepper
- Cut the white radish and carrot into 1½-inch (4-cm) cubes, and round the edges.
- Soak the pyogo mushrooms in water and strain. Once soaked, remove the stems.
- Peel the chestnuts and remove the seed from jujubes.
- Combine all the ingredients of the marinade for beef.
- Place the ribs in a pot and cover with cold water to remove any blood from the ribs. Drain the ribs in a colander and discard the water. Pour 5 cups of water into a pot and bring to a boil. When it boils, add the ribs and cook for 30 minutes. Skim off foam several times. Remove the ribs to a platter and set aside until they’re cool enough to handle. Reserve the broth in the pot. Remove the extra fat and score diagonally 1-inch (3-cm) intervals.
- Let the broth cool and skim off the fat.
- In a medium saucepan, pour the water and bring to a boil. Add the white radish and carrots and parboil for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- In a pot, place the prepared short ribs and pour ⅔ part of the marinade and mix well. Add the 2 cups of reserved broth and bring to a boil for about 40 minutes over medium heat.
- When the ribs become tender, add the parboiled white radish, carrots, pyogo mushrooms, chestnuts, jujubes and the rest of marinade. Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for an additional 15 minutes.
- Arrange the ribs and vegetables in a serving bowl.
Beef shanks, brisket or oxtail may be used instead of ribs. Let the boiled ribs cool and separate the fat before cooking them with sauce to prevent excessive greasiness.
